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Thanks

Keith

Noonday Devotion by Keith

Devotion 1

Luke 5

3 And getting into one of the boats, [the one] that belonged to Simon (Peter), He requested him to draw away a little from the shore. Then He sat down and continued to teach the crowd [of people] from the boat.

4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon (Peter), Put out into the deep [water], and lower your nets for a haul.

5 And Simon (Peter) answered, Master, we toiled all night [[a]exhaustingly] and caught nothing [in our nets]. But [b]on the ground of Your word, I will lower the nets [again].

6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish; and as their nets were [[c]at the point of] breaking,

7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and take hold with them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

8 But when Simon Peter saw this, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.

9 For he was gripped with bewildering amazement [allied to terror], and all who were with him, at the haul of fish which they had made;

10 And so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon (Peter). And Jesus said to Simon, Have no fear; from now on you will be catching men!

What an amazing passage. I just feel led to share a few thoughts on this passage:

The first thing that strikes me is that Jesus did not ask the disciples to cast out into the deep until he had finished teaching the crowds and them. Similarly he will not ask us to cast out into the deep until He, through the Holy Spirit has taught us. He is not going to give you a task that is above your capabilities and learning, but one that is perfectly suited to your abilities.

The second thing is the obedience of Peter. Look at what he says. He states that his efforts have been in vain. We can work and witness for the Lord in an area and say to Him ' Lord we have shared the gospel in this area for years and still no fruit', but according to your word, we will go again. Has your church witnessed in an area that has seen no fruit, but are you prepared like Peter, that on the word of the Lord, you will let down your nets again?

Thirdly Peter was a fisherman who knew these waters, but he was so believing. Despite his knowledge, he was prepared to bow the knee to Jesus. How often do we think we have all the answers? But eventually we have to bow the knee to the ONE who holds all the answers and is all knowing.

Fourthly there is the haul. When we place our nets where Jesus tells us to place them, the haul is always great. We can plan to our hearts content, but we will spend all night and day catching nothing. Unless we listen to His voice and have His anointing on our service and witness!

Lastly the response of Peter. We like Him, can only worship Him and call Him Lord. In the presence Of Jesus, we can only see ourselves as sinful men. The more time you spend in the presence of Jesus, the more aware of your sin, you become.

In verse 9, the disciples were totally amazed at the haul of fish. Can I ask a final question... are you amazed by the haul of fish and are you expecting a great haul of souls in your community? Drop down your nets at the command of the Master Fisherman and prepare to be amazed

What we have to remember is to place our nets at the places God commands us.. amen

God bless you

KeithDevotion 2Psalm 89

7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.

My question is a very simple one.

How much do we fear God and have reverence for Him?

Especially when we go into His house.

I know that I sometimes go into God's house in a manner that is not true in heart worship.

Sometimes before the service in many sanctuaries there is the chatter of small talk among the people of God. Surely this shouldn't be the case.

I am just asking myself this question as much as you,

Do I go into God's house to worship and praise Him or to meet with my friends or to exchange the latest news with other members of the congregation?

A final thought is God reverenced and feared in my/your life?

If he was reverenced and feared in my/your life and the life of the church, then there would be:

Zero tolerance to sinA true heart of worshipNo gossip and backbiting within the churchA greater hunger for God's word A greater urge to prayA heart for the lost

And a hunger after God himself, as He is given the reverence due to his name.

I write these things to myself as much as anybody, as this is an area, that I fall down on myself

God bless you

Keith

Morning and evening by CH Spurgeon

AM

"After that ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." – I Peter 5:10You have seen the arch of heaven as it spans the plain: glorious are its colours, and rare its hues. It is beautiful, but, alas, it passes away, and lo, it is not. The fair colours give way to the fleecy clouds, and the sky is no longer brilliant with the tints of heaven. It is not established. How can it be? A glorious show made up of transitory sun-beams and passing rain-drops, how can it abide? The graces of the Christian character must not resemble the rainbow in its transitory beauty, but, on the contrary, must be stablished, settled, abiding. Seek, O believer, that every good thing you have may be an abiding thing. May your character not be a writing upon the sand, but an inscription upon the rock! May your faith be no "baseless fabric of a vision," but may it be builded of material able to endure that awful fire which shall consume the wood, hay, and stubble of the hypocrite. May you be rooted and grounded in love. May your convictions be deep, your love real, your desires earnest. May your whole life be so settled and established, that all the blasts of hell, and all the storms of earth shall never be able to remove you. But notice how this blessing of being "stablished in the faith" is gained. The apostle’s words point us to suffering as the means employed-"After that ye have suffered awhile." It is of no use to hope that we shall be well rooted if no rough winds pass over us. Those old gnarlings on the root of the oak tree, and those strange twistings of the branches, all tell of the many storms that have swept over it, and they are also indicators of the depth into which the roots have forced their way. So the Christian is made strong, and firmly rooted by all the trials and storms of life. Shrink not then from the tempestuous winds of trial, but take comfort, believing that by their rough discipline God is fulfilling this benediction to you.

PM"That he may set him with princes." – Psalm 113:8Our spiritual privileges are of the highest order. "Among princes" is the place of select society. "Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." Speak of select society, there is none like this! "We are a chosen generation, a peculiar people, a royal priesthood." "We are come unto the general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven." The saints have courtly audience: princes have admittance to royalty when common people must stand afar off. The child of God has free access to the inner courts of heaven. "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." "Let us come boldly," says the apostle, "to the throne of the heavenly grace." Among princes there is abundant wealth, but what is the abundance of princes compared with the riches of believers? for "all things are yours, and ye are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s." "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Princes have peculiar power. A prince of heaven’s empire has great influence: he wields a sceptre in his own domain; he sits upon Jesus’ throne, for "He hath made us kings and priests unto God, and we shall reign for ever and ever." We reign over the united kingdom of time and eternity. Princes, again, have special honour. We may look down upon all earth-born dignity from the eminence upon which grace has placed us. For what is human grandeur to this, "He hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus"? We share the honour of Christ, and compared with this, earthly splendours are not worth a thought. Communion with Jesus is a richer gem than ever glittered in imperial diadem. Union with the Lord is a coronet of beauty outshining all the blaze of imperial pomp.